Springtime Melody
by blazingfire52
Summary: Retirement for the Carson's


** I wrote this because I needed some cheering up. I'm not giving up hope on my ship, no matter what a certain actress has to say about it, it will happen one way or another.**

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Humming. Roused from his afternoon slumber he slowly opens his eyes and smiles at the sights and sounds he is greeted by. She is humming. It's a melody that is familiar, yet he can't seem to recall its name. No matter, there are more important things he can choose to occupy his mind with, such as the beautiful woman in front of him.

It's a charming spring afternoon. The sun is shinning down on them both while the wind whistles through the long grass and the tree branches, cooling them from the heat. It is a perfect day to be spent outdoors. From his place under their tree he has a wonderful view of her working in their garden. Her hair is coming undone and her checks are flushed, but she has never looked more lovely.

She is focused on the task at hand, carefully weeding out all intruders that have taken up residence in their vegetable patch. Watching her now it is easy to picture her as a young lass, working her father's farm back in Scotland.

When they had first moved into their cottage, he had expected he would be doing the gardening. From a young age he had been taught that outdoors work was mans work. Elsie had disagreed. She had insisted that she was more than capable of managing a small vegetable garden and that she would play an active role in its upkeep. So they had then decided to share the duties. How could he refuse, especially now that he can see what joy it brings her.

She steps back to scrutinize her work as her melody draws to its natural conclusion. Even now after so many months of retirement she still has to have everything just so. He smiles at the thought, he supposes he is no better.

After she is certain that the garden is in ship-shape she turns her eyes to him. She smiles brightly at the sight of him staring intently back.

"Why Mr. Carson, whatever are you grinning about?" she teases placing her hands on her hips.

"I should think that was obvious Mrs. Carson." She raises her eyebrows at this, waiting for him to continue.

"I can't help but smile when you're around." he states seriously. His voice is soft, his gaze is tender, and her heart can't help but melt at his confession. She smiles and slowly makes her way over to sit down beside him.

"I thought you were going to finish reading your book this afternoon?" She asks as she cuddles into his side.

"That's what I was doing." He replies as he picks up the book that is laying open on his chest and sets it aside in the grass.

"Oh really? It looked like you were sleeping to me." Elsie teases as she hugs him tighter.

"Hardly! I was merely resting my eyes, no more than that." she can't help but roll her eyes at his reply.

"If you say so my man." she soothes.

They are silent after that, just laying together enjoying the late spring afternoon and the comfort of the others arms. A little over a year ago Charles never would have believed he could feel as happy and carefree as he does in this moment.

Retirement had always seemed like a gloomy prospect. A solitary cottage, no work to be done, and no housekeeper to share his evenings with, very gloomy indeed. He had always assumed that they would both just continue on at Downton for the rest of their lives, so when he had learned that she was thinking of retirement he had acted without thinking.

The thought of her leaving the house (him) and never seeing her again was something he couldn't handle. He had barged into her sitting room and declared that she was not allowed to leave. Of course she had been a bit cross about that. His words were coming out all wrong.

"I am not 'allowed' to leave! And why would that be Mr. Carson?!"

"Because I love you!"

He hadn't even planned on saying it, but looking back on it now he is ever so thankful he did. After that things had progressed rather quickly and within a month they were married and living in the beautiful cottage that they now called home. It was more than he had ever dreamed to hope for.

She has started to hum again. This time to a different tune, one he knows by heart. He catches her hand that has been slowly tracing patterns on his chest and brings it up to his lips. After placing a loving kiss on her palm he begins singing.

His voice is low and soft and sends a shiver up her spine. She loves it when he sings to her. He has such a lovely voice and she feels so blessed that he is willing to share this side of himself with her.

Since their marriage she has learned so many new things about him. She had though she had known him before but now she sees how silly that thought had been. Only now can she say she knows the true Charles Carson. Every quirk, every trait, every story. Although she knows that there are still many more to be discovered, and with every discovery she can't help but fall more and more in love with him.

Yet, it seems as if she has always been in love with him. Ever since her time as a housemaid he has been the only man for her. That is why making the decision to retire had been so difficult. She knew he cared for her but it wasn't enough, the house and the family would always come first and she would only have ever been a glass of wine in the evenings. She had decided it was time to move on with her life, no matter how painful the process.

His confession of love had completely taken her by surprise. She had stood there speechless not daring to believe that his declaration was true, waiting for him to say something more, anything more.

"I, I love you Elsie. I always have and I can't let you leave, at least not without me."

The memory never fails to make her heart skip a beat. Knowing that he loves her and that she loves him, well she doesn't believe she has ever felt more alive. Ever since that day her life has been filled with joy. Her life with Charles is a life filled with love and as their springtime melody comes to an end, she knows that the love that they share has no end in sight.


End file.
